The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Tillandsia plant, botanically known as Tillandsia leiboldiana, of the family Bromeliaceae, commonly referred to as air plant, Ball moss or Spanish moss, and hereinafter referred to as ‘MORA’.
The present invention relates to seeds which are the Tillandsia leiboldiana ‘MORA’, as well as, plants and plant parts produced by these seeds which have all of the morphological and physiological characteristics of the Tillandsia ‘MORA’. The present invention also relates to methods for producing these seeds and plants of the Tillandsia leiboldiana ‘MORA’. Furthermore, the present invention relates to methods of producing progeny Tillandsia plants by crossing Tillandsia leiboldiana ‘MORA’, as either the female or seed or male or pollen parent, with another Tillandsia plant and selecting progeny.
Tillandsia can be found growing in the deserts, forests and mountains of Central and South America, Mexico, and southern United States. Tillandsia species are epiphytes, and also referred to as aerophytes. For the most part, the foliage of Tillandsia range in color from green to red, and thin-leaf species grow in tropical conditions whereas broad-leaf species grow in arid conditions. Tillandsia may be advantageously grown as potted plants for greenhouse or home use. Typically, the plants are shaded from direct sunlight.
The new Tillandsia leiboldiana ‘MORA’ originated from repeated selections of an unpatented, proprietary Tillandsia leiboldiana in a controlled environment in Assendelft, The Netherlands. After several selections, the new Tillandsia leiboldiana ‘MORA’ was discovered and selected by the inventors as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated selection in a controlled environment in 2005 in a greenhouse in Assendelft, The Netherlands. Following selection, Tillandsia leiboldiana ‘MORA’ has been under cultivation at the nursery located in Assendelft, The Netherlands.
Asexual reproduction of the new Tillandsia leiboldiana ‘MORA’ was first performed by vegetative off springs in 2005 in Assendelft, The Netherlands, with first flowering after asexual reproduction occurring in 2007 in Assendelft, The Netherlands. Asexual reproduction of Tillandsia leiboldiana ‘MORA’ has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new cultivar are firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction. The new cultivar reproduces true-to-type by means of both asexual and sexual reproduction. Plants of the variety ‘Mora’ can be selfed or crossed to produce progeny plants that have the combination of characteristics herein disclosed for the new cultivar.
Methods for cultivation and crossing of Tillandsia are well known. For a detailed discussion, reference is made to the following publications, which are incorporated herein by reference: Benzing, David H., THE BIOLOGY OF THE BROMELIADS, Mad River Press, Inc., Eureka (1980); Zimmer, Karl, BROMELIEN Verlag, Paul Pary, Berlin (1986); and Rauh, Werner, BROMELIEN, Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgard (1981).
The new Tillandsia leiboldiana ‘MORA’ is preferably produced through seed by selfing or crossing plants of the variety ‘MORA’.
This invention is directed to Tillandsia leiboldiana plant having all the morphological and physiological characteristics of ‘MORA’ produced from seeds which are the result of several selections in Tillandsia leiboldiana. The seed parent has a sufficient degree of homozygosis such that the progeny of the selection were, and continue to be, phenotypically uniform.
Tillandsia leiboldiana ‘MORA’ can be produced by sexual reproduction and has the combination of characteristics herein disclosed for the new variety ‘MORA’.